Maren Oates

All of my work starts with a gel printing plate, which is a smooth, portable, gelatin-like surface for printmaking.  After rolling acrylic paint onto the surface using a brayer, I press found textures from the recycle bin or nature onto the plate before pulling a print. 

I repeat this process several times to build my "base layers", eventually adding hand-cut stencils to create distinct shapes. Some of these monotypes become collage material, but most pieces are finished with lines of machine or hand stitching.